Ten greatest games

With more than 1,100 victories between them, Roy Williams and Rick Pitino long have been considered two of the greatest minds to work college basketball’s sidelines.

But there was a time, not long ago, when they were linked in a way that had nothing to do with win totals.

The day was Dec. 9, 1989, and second-year Kansas University coach Roy Williams was on the sideline for his first match-up with one of the nation’s elite programs. Two weeks removed from rolling their way to the Preseason NIT championship — with victories over Shaquille O’Neal and second-ranked LSU and Larry Johnson and top-ranked UNLV — the Jayhawks were home for a battle with Pitino’s Kentucky Wildcats.

Pitino, who made a name for himself by guiding Providence College to the 1987 Final Four and in the NBA with the New York Knicks, was in his first season in charge of the probation-laden Wildcats. With just eight scholarship players and a host of walk-ons on his roster, Pitino rode the Wildcats hard that season, determined to lay the foundation for the fast-paced, pressing style that would lead UK to three Final Fours in the 1990s, including a national title in 1996.

On this day, though, the Jayhawks had little trouble with Pitino’s press. Seniors Kevin Pritchard, Ricky Calloway, Jeff Gueldner and Freeman West, along with juniors Mark Randall and Terry Brown, torched the pressure and scored at will while leading Kansas to a 150-95 blowout. KU led at the half, 80-61.

“This is something that I still preach to this day, and it was really from that game,” Randall said. “Against any press, always get the ball to the middle. And that’s what we did. And we were able to advance up the court past their press, and it was layup, layup, layup.”

With each Kansas layup or dunk, the Allen Fieldhouse crowd roared louder. As the decibel-level grew, Pitino became more irate.

“It just kept getting louder and louder and louder, and, as a player, you feed off of that energy and excitement,” Randall said. “The energy in that place never got better than it was that time. The tradition of Kansas against the tradition of Kentucky and the energy that was in the building that day, it was unbelievable. There was nothing like it in my five years that I was at Kansas. Nothing really even came close.”

With his team getting embarrassed on the court, Pitino’s temper boiled. Randall recounted how Williams yelled to Pitino, asking what he wanted him to do, given that he already had his third team in the game. Pitino, according to Randall, responded with an expletive.

The exchange stoked Williams’ competitive nature, and it showed.

“The starters were taken out, which was a nice gesture on coach Williams’ part, but there’s emotion in this game, there’s passion in it,” Pritchard said. “Once the incident happened, I just remember coach Williams looked down the bench and said, ‘Starters, back in the game now.’ Initially I thought we were in trouble, but he just wanted us back in there to show ’em that we were going to go back in and compete for the next five minutes.”

Added Randall: “I thought what coach Williams did was class. It was kind of one of those things where you just sat there and said, ‘What are you gonna do?’ (Pitino’s) the (guy) who kept putting the press on.”

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Pritchard’s surprise did not stop with Williams sending KU’s starters back in.

“What was amazing,” Pritchard continued, “was that they kept pressing, and we kept breaking the press and just kept getting easy baskets.”

To this day, many of the Jayhawks on that team continue to be amazed by Pitino’s insistence on using the press until the bitter end.

“I don’t know what his thinking was,” Randall said. “Maybe he was thinking, ‘hell we were getting smoked anyway, we might as well keep going.’”

After racking up a few more victories at KU, Randall and Pritchard both went on to enjoy a few seasons as NBA players and currently are still involved with the league. Randall is the director of community relations for his hometown Denver Nuggets. Pritchard is the general manager for the Portland Trailblazers. Throughout their careers, they’ve encountered plenty of Kentucky alums along the way. Just about every time, the record-setting game comes up.

“Any time I run into any Kentucky fans,” Pritchard said. “There are a lot of Kentucky guys in the NBA and there are a lot of Kansas guys in the NBA, and we’re not afraid to have a few friendly words.”

Added Randall: “In the time I’ve spent in Lawrence since I graduated, I would say that that’s the one game that’s talked about most in my career. People remember where they were or what they were doing when they were watching it.”

I remember that game very well! This game and the UCLA game where Jacque Vaughn and the Jayhawks came back from a huge deficit at halftime, are the two best games in AFH. Great Memories, for sure! Where is WildcatsFanOne when you need him?!!!!!!!!

That was my senior year. I had planned to go home to Omaha on Friday but decided to stay for the game. I sure am glad I did, or this wouldn't be one of the few chances I'll ever get to say "I was there!" It was AWESOME!!!

the game is unique in KU history for sure...we'll never see another one like it. because no one will want the 24 hour news/sports cycle to show this over and over again...like you have now.

It just goes to show you how arrogant Pitino was....he wanted the brakes to be put on by us, but yet wouldn't stop pressing.

Of course, UK got its revenge next year, and then Pitino himself won a title. It's funny now, exactly 20 years later that basically Pitino is really on his last legs of a career...and Roy just came off his 2nd title....and another one may not that be far off.

On that December day in 1989, Pitino vs. Roy was a bloodbath...and Roy was towering over him....and today, career wise...it's darn near the same thing.

As a Jayhawk fan I remember how dominating Kansas looked. I was so excited that KU was thumping Kentucky in that way.

I just looked at the youtube video that 5yard posted. Now I am struck by the way the Kentucky players do not look like they want to press any more. You can see a couple look over to the bench at different times as if to say "coach, give it up man you're embarrassing us players".

I want to also add that I like the current Naismith court better than the old one. But I did prefer the sound of that old horn. It was distinctive and just seemed to fit the flavor of AFH.

Always good to see an old photo of Pekka Markkanen! Anybody remember Kansas beating #1 UNLV and #2 LSU back to back in the preseason NIT. I believe that was 1990 rather than 1989, but Pekka Markkanen was front and center for those wins. One of the greatest names of all time.

Just a couple of points to clarify for the questions posed by commenters...

This game was played at the beginning of the 1989-1990 season and Kansas was not on probation. This was Roy's second season and KU went 30-5 and lost to UCLA in the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament (in March of 1990).

KU's probation year came during the 1988-89 season (that began in Oct. '88), which was Coach Williams' first year at KU.

In addition, this was the year that KU won the Preseason NIT. This team beat UAB at home on Nov. 15, LSU on Nov. 17, UNLV on Nov. 22 and St. John's on Nov. 24 of 1989. The last two games were in Madison Square Garden in NYC.

It was a long time ago now.... Hope that clears up some of your questions!

Thanks for the link and info., 5yardfuller. I can't believe I finally got to see this game! I've always been jealous of the people who were there, so it's great to see it after all these years.

I am a little confused about the Roy-Rick situation, though. Matt Tait says, "“With his team getting embarrassed on the court, Pitino’s temper boiled. Randall recounted how Williams yelled to Pitino, asking what he wanted him to do, given that he already had his third team in the game. Pitino, according to Randall, responded with an expletive." Yet if it occurred when it was 126-86 like 5yardfuller says, weren't Randall and Pritchard still in the game? Does anyone know the specifics of the situation?

If this game ranks among the Jayhawk's greatest, I feel bad for Kansas basketball. BTW, Kentucky, still on probation, beat Kansas just one year later. Kind of puts this class-less display by Roy Williams in perspective, doesn't it?

In contrast, Kentucky whipped Tennessee 101-40 in the 1993 SEC Tournament. But it means little to Wildcat fans. Why? Because it was a blowout, and blowouts are never good, or great, games. At least to class teams and their fans.

But I digress, and continue to have pity for a program that celebrates a win over a 14-14 team (season record), suffering its worst season in 60 years.

Jorge, your comments show how remarkably clueless you are about KU basketball history. Going into that game, UK had an all-time record of 16-2 against KU, and had won a lot of them in truly heartbreaking fashion. And most of the wins had come with a (racist jerk of a) KU alum as heir coach. There was a long, built-up animosity against the 'Cats.

Besides, what exactly did Roy do that was so classless? (It's one word, by the way.) Maybe he could have removed some of the starters a little earlier. But other than that, if UK was going to continue to press the whole game, what should KU have done, simply handed them the ball and said, "Thanks for offering us the easy basket, but we don't want to embarrass you by running up the score?"

This is ranked among KU's greatest games because of what it represents historically, not because of the game itself. And it doesn't hurt that it was a nice round number of 150. 14-14 or not, it's still special that KU's biggest score (by far) in history was against a bitter rival like UK, and that UK's biggest whipping was by KU.

But it's okay, Jorge, you go ahead and have your pity party, and KU and its fans will just continue to enjoy having the greatest tradition in college basketball history.

What part of more all-time wins, a better all-time win percentage, more all-time NCAA tournament wins, more all-time NCAA Championships - won by 4 different coaches, makes Kentucky less great than Kansas, in terms of tradition?

Never mind, regularly averaging the highest home attendance in college basketball. Oh, even the cheerleaders just won their 18th nat'l championship. And UK fans donated $1.2 million to Haiti - only because the coach asked them to.

actorman, you deserve an Oscar for that comment. Your loyalty has blinded you to the facts. And thanks for clarifying, Kansas fans pride themselves running up the score against a group of walk-on's. Karma stings, doesn't it? Remind me how many NCAA Titles Williams won at Kansas. And Rick Pitino at Kentucky?

Enjoy it while you can Jorge. Brag about your all time wins before the number is rolled back courtesy of the NCAA. As far as the lack of class aspect , It is a known but unwritten rule that if you are getting your butt kicked and the other team has the decency to call of the dogs then you do not spit in their face by playing the same people the same way you did at the beginning. If you keep trying to win, we are going to keep trying to beat you. It is that simple.

This may very well have been one of the loudest games in The Phog, but I don't like it for the top 10 at all. Kentucky was a bad team. Pitino's foolishness that caused the exchange between Roy and himself was classic. Is it a famous game, sure. A top 10 all time great? Not hardly. If the blowout of D-Wade's Marquette (who beat KY) in the Final 4 is not on this list... it is a total sham that this absolutely meaningless game is.